More to Living
by aggiegirl11
Summary: The willingness of Jason DiLaurentis to open up to one of the Pretty Little Liars upon his return to Rosewood drastically changes the events of "A is for Answers." Set during and after "Unbridled." Aria/Jason (mentions of Aria/Ezra), Spencer/Toby, Hanna/Travis/Caleb, Emily/Paige/Alison, and Alison/Ezra.
1. Chapter 1

More to Living

Author's Note: I am not abandoning Waiting to Fall, I promise. I will alternate writing chapters for that and this (that one is already plotted to the end.) I just wanted to get this up and started before the Season 5 premiere in June. This will be less Jaria centric, though they are still featured heavily, as I wanted to incorporate the other characters more. This takes place during and after the events of Season 4's "Unbridled." And I, of course, altered the plot to fit my story. The title was inspired by a line from Anberlin's beautiful song, Alexithymia. A solid reminder that "There's more to living than being alive."

Chapter 1 – Reinventing Your Exit

Aria shivered as she shuffled through the detritus in her purse to find her car keys. She looked up from her bag and glanced around quickly. Since A had become even more brazen, she was taking the old cautionary thought that you should always be aware of your surroundings to new extremes. Her quick glance around the street didn't yield much of interest and she breathed a quick sigh of relief. Before she turned to head to her car, however, a head of short blonde hair caught her eye, and her gaze focused on the form of someone she hadn't seen in months. Before she could have second thoughts, she called out to him, "Jason!"

He turned to look at her, his green eyes registering her presence with temporary happiness, before he controlled his emotions and pulled his cool mask back into place. He stopped, even though he was next to his car, and waited for Aria to cross the street and speak to him.

Aria wasn't sure what to say to him once she was in closer proximity, so she settled for, "Are you okay?"

He gave her a puzzled look, wondering why that was the first question she chose to ask.

Noticing that he wasn't going to truly answer her question until she explained, she blushed and began, "I mean, the last time you were in town you fell down an elevator shaft, and Mr. Hastings said that you fell off the wagon and went back to rehab."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Jason asked anger clouding his features momentarily.

Aria could tell by his reaction that Mr. Hastings' version of the story wasn't true and she reached out and touched Jason's arm. "Where have you really been Jason?"

Jason looked into her eyes, pleased that she didn't automatically believe Peter Hastings' account of where he had been. "Part of the time I was in rehab, but not for drugs. I did a lot of physical therapy while I was trying to recover from the accident. The rest of the time," he paused holding Aria's gaze, "is a long story, and probably best not discussed on Main Street in Rosewood."

Aria nodded and quietly said, "I'm glad you're back. Do you want to talk about it?"

Jason looked at her and judged her to be in earnest. He wanted nothing more than to talk about the mysteries surrounding his accident and his sister's disappearance, but he needed to be able to trust the person he talked to. He had always trusted Aria, even when she had spurned his advances. "Sure," he said unlocking his car, "but we're going to have to go someplace else to talk."

Aria quickly walked to the other side of his car and opened the door. She slid into the leather interior of the passenger seat and memories overwhelmed her. This time last year, Jason had been interested in her as more than a friend and she had denied her feelings for him. After everything that she now knew about her relationship with Ezra she was kicking herself for not giving Jason a chance when she had felt so much for him. She had thought that Ezra was the safe choice, when the reality was that the broken man beside her would probably have been a much better person to give her heart to.

Jason watched the road, his expression grim as he thought about how he was going to tell Aria what he had been up to while he was gone. He noticed her shiver and the overwhelming need to protect her surged through him. He may have cooled his pursuit of her when she told him that she was unavailable, but that didn't mean his feelings had disappeared. They were still smoldering barely beneath the surface. "Are you cold?" he asked reaching for the control for the heater.

She nodded, crossing her arms across her chest. "It's probably time that I cave and start wearing my winter coat."

He turned up the heater and smirked. "But that would ruin your outfit."

"That's a pretty dumb reason to be cold, isn't it?" Aria asked returning his smirk.

"I don't know." He answered, pondering and admiring her vivid red sweater and leggings. "It would be a shame to cover up your style."

Aria blushed at the sincerity in his voice. "Thank you."

He turned and smiled at her, before pulling onto a dark road that led up into the mountains.

"Where are we going?" Aria asked as she took in the spooky darkness that surrounded them.

"My grandfather built a ski cabin out here a long time ago. Once he died everyone kind of just forgot about it. I like to come up here to think, because no one else knows where it is." Jason answered turning onto a gravel road.

The fact that Jason was sharing such a personal place with her made her feel warm, despite the chilliness of the night. Jason pulled to a stop in front of a quintessential ski cabin and walked around to help Aria out of the car. He led her up the steps to the porch and he quickly unlocked the door. He went to start a fire in the fireplace as Aria looked around the cabin. Jason hadn't been kidding when he said that his family had just forgotten about the place after his grandfather died. It looked like the furnishings hadn't been updated in about thirty years, but there was a comfortable warmth to the place, like the house only held good memories. Aria sat down on the plaid couch, and waited for Jason to join her.

"I would offer you something to drink, but..." Jason said sheepishly as he sat down next to her.

"That's okay." Aria said reaching out and placing her hand on top of his. "Tell me what's going on, Jason. What required all of this secrecy?"

Jason removed his hand from underneath Aria's and ran it through his hair. "I think Ali is alive, but I think someone is out to get her and maybe me too. I've been getting these cryptic text messages from someone that calls themselves A, but I don't think it's Mona like when you girls were getting messages."

Of all the things that he could have said, Aria was probably the least prepared for that one. She trembled and asked shakily, "You've been getting text messages from A?"

"Have you been getting them too?" Jason asked.

Aria nodded and then added, "You're right about Ali. She is alive. I've seen her."

"When?" Jason asked, a frantic look came into his eyes.

"Halloween." Aria said. "But I don't know that she wants to be found. She's afraid of someone. Probably the same person or people that we're afraid of."

Jason agreed. "Do you have any idea who it might be?"

Aria shook her head no. "We've been trying to figure it out for so long, that I can't remember what it was like to not think about it all the time."

"My mom thinks it's Spencer. She says that Spencer always seemed to have a vendetta against Ali, and Spencer was acting crazy that summer that Ali went missing." Jason said rubbing his neck.

"And what do you think?" Aria asked, curious as to Jason's opinion since Spencer is his sister too.

"I disagree with her. Spencer and Ali didn't always get along, but I don't think Spencer would ever do anything to hurt her."

"Maybe you could tell Spencer that, because her dad sure seems to think she could have been involved." Aria said, her annoyance with Mr. Hastings seeping out through her tone.

"I'm afraid that I can't." Jason said, "I promised my mom that I would stay away from the Hastings as much as possible. And I'm trying to keep my promises these days."

Aria smiled at him softly, almost sadly. She wondered what kind of promises he might have made to her, if she had let him into her heart completely when she had the chance.

"It's pretty clear that we aren't going to solve this mystery in one night. What else has been going on while I was away?" Jason asked.

Aria internally debated telling Jason about Ezra and his betrayal. On one hand, Jason knowing that Ezra had been involved with Ali might help shed some light on the mystery that she and Jason were both wrapped up in, on the other, she didn't know if she could bring herself to confess that she had made a terrible mistake staying with Ezra as long as she had.

Jason watched the emotions cross Aria's face and covered her hand with his as she had done earlier. "Aria, whatever it is you can tell me."

Aria nodded and the whole story spilled out. How Ezra had been with Ali, how he had known who Aria was when they met, and how had used her and stalked her friends. How he had let them take their relationship to the next level physically to manipulate her into believing that he loved her. By the end she was sobbing, the hurt still fresh, and Jason was barely controlling his anger toward Ezra.

"So you're telling me that not only was Ezra involved with my little sister, he used you and lied to you for the entirety of your relationship?"

"Yes." Aria answered wiping her eyes. "The worst part for me now that I've gotten over the initial shock, is that I gave up so much to keep my relationship with him. My relationship with my parents, my brother, a chance at real happiness."

Jason couldn't help wonder if she was talking about him when she mentioned a chance at happiness. Something about the way that she looked at him when she said it made him think that she regretted telling him that she was unavailable when he kissed her all those months ago. The look in her eyes made him bold and he said, "I'm a firm believer that for most people there will always be a second chance for happiness."

Aria was confused by his words, unless, she thought, he knew that she was talking about him when she mentioned a missed chanced for happiness. The thought that he could read her so easily made her blush. "I hope so." she said.

Suddenly Aria's phone buzzed and she cringed as she picked it up. "Think you can hide out in the woods forever, Little Red? You never know who else might be hiding out there, waiting for you. - A."

Spencer Hastings had returned from meeting up with the girls at the Brew and immediately stormed past Dean and ran up to her room. She was sitting on her bed, tears streaming down her face as she reread the letter that Toby had sent her from London. He was trying to bring Melissa and Wren back to Rosewood. He seemed to think that would help her, but she didn't know how. Maybe Toby was removed enough from her situation to have insight into her that even she herself didn't have. Or maybe he just wanted to get away from her drug-addled self, she thought wryly. A knock sounded on her door and she stood up from the bed to answer it.

"What?" She asked, agitated by the person on the other side. "_Since_ I went out do you need to search me for pills or something?"

"Spencer." Dean pleaded, "Don't be like this. I'm here to help you."

"Here to help me? Here's how you can help me – bring my boyfriend back from London, turn back time so that one of my best friends never disappeared, oh and keep my sister's boyfriends away from our house."

"You've got yourself all worked up. Spencer this is good, you need to let all of this out." Dean said

trying to soothe her.

"What? So you're a shrink now too?" Spencer asked bitterly. "I've already seen one of those and a fat lot of good it did me."

"Spencer, why are you so angry?" Dean asked, hoping that Spencer would look inside of herself to find the root of her addiction and her anger issues.

"Because there is a giant chunk of my life that I don't remember. Who knows what I could have done during that time? My parents sure seem to think I was guilty of something or at least capable of something. That's why you're here isn't it? To "help" me before I take things too far again." Spencer's voice was quiet by the end and she broke down sobbing.

"Spencer," Dean said embracing her and trying to calm her down, "I really am here to help you. Not because I or your parents think you are going to do something wrong, but because you have so much potential, and no one wants to see you waste it by being addicted to anything."

"It just seems like nothing is going right for me anymore. Toby has been so distant lately, both literally and figuratively, my parents don't trust me, my friends and I still have no idea what happened to our missing best friend, and I was rejected from my first choice for college." Spencer lamented tearing up again.

"Maybe you and your boyfriend are just growing apart, you can help regain your parents' trust by working with me and not fighting me all the time, maybe it's time for you and your friends to stop looking for answers and just accept that you may never know what happened to Alison, and you got into plenty of other great colleges, you will be fine." Dean returned, matching each of Spencer's arguments with one of his own.

Spencer had to acknowledge that he was right about most of the things, but she knew there was no way that she and the girls could move on from trying to find out what happened to Ali. There was no way that A would let them move on for one, and for two now that they knew that Ali was alive, she felt like it was their duty to help her come home.

Spencer inhaled deeply and said, "Fine. I will stop fighting you at every turn. I will let you help me, but I'm not giving up on Toby, and I still want to know what happened to Ali that summer."

"Fair enough." Dean said agreeing to Spencer's terms. "That sounds like a good start."

Hanna Marin stared blankly at the textbook in front of her. She was getting nowhere with her history homework, because all she could think about was her failed date with Travis. She was so tired of A intruding in every aspect of her life. After all it was partially because of A that Caleb had left Rosewood, and now that Hanna was starting to accept that Caleb was really gone, her desire to solve the mystery of Ali's disappearance was ruining yet another chance at happiness with Travis. She liked him, he was cute and funny, and just the type of guy that she could see herself in a relationship with. Unfortunately, after the way their date had ended and their interaction at school earlier that day, she was pretty sure that he would never want to go on a date with her again. She huffed and thought about calling one of her friends when her mom opened her door.

"Ever heard of knocking?" Hanna asked jokingly as Ashley Marin entered the room.

Ashley smiled tightly. "I need a favor."

"Sure. What's up?" Hanna questioned as her mom sat down on her bed.

"You know the charity bridal show that I'm helping Jessica DiLaurentis with? We need models for the wedding dresses and I was wondering if you and the girls might be willing to help."

"Sure." Hanna said. "I bet the girls would love to." The wheels in her mind were turning, thinking that it was a perfect opportunity to investigate Ezra's theory that Mrs. D was A. She had to admit that the theory had potential, although Aria had vehemently opposed it saying that they couldn't trust anything that Ezra said. Hanna had to admit that she had a point. Ezra had been lying to them, not to mention stalking them, for the last year and a half.

"Great." Ashley said heading out Hanna's door. "Why don't you text the girls and confirm?"

Hanna nodded and reached for her phone to text the girls. They all responded that they were willing to help quickly and Hanna put her phone back next to her textbook on her desk. She tried to get back into her reading, but the buzzing of her phone distracted her once again. She picked it up and read the message, "Careful Hanna, I hear wedding cake makes you fat. Travis definitely won't be interested in Hefty Hanna. - A."

She let out a frustrated groan and threw the phone against the comforter on her bed. "This has got to end." she said to her empty bedroom.

"I cannot believe you told the police about Ali after I asked you not to!" Emily exclaimed with a whispered yell at Paige as the two stood on the Fields' front porch. "How could you do this to me?"

"Emily, I'm trying to protect you. Alison has the hold over you that's not healthy. Over all of you really, but you especially. You need to move on."

"Don't tell me what I need to do!" Emily yelled.

"Em, I love you. I want you to be happy with me and as long as you are searching for her you won't be." Paige said her voice breaking.

Emily shook her head and turned away "If you really loved me, you would have done what I asked and left it alone."

"I don't know what else I can do to make you see that I did this for you."

"You didn't do this for me, Paige, you did it for you. You're jealous of Alison, and you want to make things harder for her, but in doing so you've also made things harder for me. So, I'm about to make things a little easier. We're done." Emily said her voice steely as she turned for her front door.

"You don't mean that." Paige called to Emily's retreating figure.

"Actually, I do. Goodbye Paige."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Parts of this chapter closely mirror "A is for Answers." No infringement is intended, and this is written only for enjoyment. **

Chapter 2 – A Whisper & a Clamor

"I think that Jason can help us." Aria said as she shouldered her bag. The girls were about to head over the DiLaurentis house to help with Mrs. DiLaurentis' charity bridal show.

"I still think he's suspicious." Emily said giving Aria a skeptical look.

Aria just stared at her incredulously. "He saved your life, Em."

"I know, I just don't think his story adds up." Emily said, as Hanna nodded her agreement.

"Seriously?" Aria asked dropping her bag on the Hastings' kitchen island and halting the girls' progress to get out the door. "You are seriously telling me that you are one hundred percent willing to trust Ezra's theory that Mrs. D is A, despite the fact that he used us, stalked us, and lied to us, but you won't even attempt to show a little faith in Jason? Did you forget that A tried to kill him in that elevator?"

Aria was angry. It was like last year all over again, and she wasn't going to let her friends do this again. Ezra had proved untrustworthy, and maybe his actions didn't hurt them the way they hurt Aria, but he had stalked them too.

"Okay, okay. I agree with Aria. I think we should give Jason a chance." Spencer said trying to calm Aria's ire and defending her half brother.

"Thank you." Aria said picking up her bag and glaring at Emily and Hanna as she started the short walk over the DiLaurentis house.

"Do you think she likes him?" Hanna whispered to Spencer once Aria was far enough in front of them.

"I think she might." Spencer whispered back. "But, I'm afraid. It's only been a month since she and Ezra broke up."

Hanna nodded and thought about Aria's words from earlier about Ezra's betrayal.

"I am so glad that you girls are here!" Ashley Marin exclaimed, the stress of the evening already apparent in her voice. "We need to get you into the dresses and then to hair and makeup ASAP." She steered them into the living room which had been converted into a makeshift dressing room for the evenings event. She handed each girl a dress and left them to their own devices to change.

"I guess we aren't going to have much time for investigating." Hanna said as she held her hair up for Spencer to help her with the zipper on the dress.

"It looks that way." Spencer agreed grimly. The wheels were already turning in her head, and she was thinking about how she could slip away from the show to look around.

After the girls were finished getting ready for the show, Ella Montgomery entered the room and asked to speak to Aria alone. "Let's go into the dining room." Ella suggested, and Aria followed.

"You are a beautiful bride." Ella said straightening the veil that was tucked into Aria's curls.

"Yeah, well, the person that I thought was it for me turned out not to be, so don't expect to be seeing this for real anytime soon." Aria said, bitterness creeping into her voice. She hadn't told her mother everything that had happened with Ezra, but she had shared with her that they had broken up because Ezra wasn't who Aria thought he was.

"There's someone out there that is perfect for you, and will love you more than Ezra could have ever dreamed of doing." Ella said taking Aria's hand.

Aria smiled sadly. "I'm sorry for how I acted last night, Mom. I'm glad that you and Zach are happy. I really am."

"I know." Ella said. "Zach actually called earlier wondering how you were doing and how you took the news."

"What news?" Aria asked.

Ella just held her hand out for her daughter to examine. Aria squealed upon seeing the diamond that rested on her mother's left ring finger. "You're engaged!"

Ella nodded and accepted Aria's hug. "Zach proposed last week. We're thinking that we will get married in June, here in Rosewood."

"I'm so happy." Aria said tears brimming in her eyes. "If anyone deserves to be happy, it's you."

"You deserve happiness too, Aria. Don't ever forget that." Ella said wiping the tears away from her daughter's eyes carefully so as not to destroy her make up. "I should probably get outside if I want a good seat." And with that Ella left Aria standing in the dining room lost in her thoughts. She was still thinking about her mother's news when Jason's familiar form entered the room.

"Are you okay?" Jason asked coming closer to Aria.

She nodded. "Yes. I just found out that mom and Zach are getting married and I was a little lost in my thoughts."

Jason smiled at her. "You look beautiful, Aria."

"Thanks. It's probably not the dress I would have chosen, but it is pretty." Aria said, twirling so that the layers of tulle that engulfed the bottom half of her tiny frame danced around her.

Jason laughed and then had to look away as he thought about the type of dress that she would choose. He could see it in his imagination, and it made a beautiful image. "So," he said, "are you ready to head out to the tent? I think they are asking everyone to be out there within a few minutes."

"I'm ready." She said quietly as she took Jason's offered arm. She snuck a peek at his profile as they walked to the tent where the runway was set up in the backyard. Despite the fact that there was nothing normal about him escorting her to a tent in his backyard while she wore a wedding dress, it felt right that they were walking together.

"Where is your veil?" Ashley Marin screeched to Spencer as she entered the area behind the runway.

Spencer reached up to touch her hair. "I think I left it in the house."

"Well, go get it." Ashley said shooing Spencer back to the house.

As Spencer climbed the stairs to the back porch, she noticed a hooded figure disappearing into the woods between the DiLaurentis' back yard and her own. The veil forgotten she took off to follow the figure. She needed answers. She needed to know that she didn't have anything to do with Ali's disappearance since that whole summer was hazy to her now. The figure seemingly knowing that he or she was being followed picked up the pace and Spencer had to run to catch up. She ended up tripping on a tree branch and twisting her ankle which ended her pursuit of the hooded figure.

As she sat alone, wearing a wedding dress in the dark woods, her ankle throbbing in pain, Spencer thought about all of the events that had led her to this place. Ali's disappearance, her own addiction to Adderal, her father's affair with Mrs. DiLaurentis, her sister's relationship with Ian and Ali's relationship with Ian, Toby's disappearing act to London, they were all making her life a living hell. Spencer did the only thing that someone in her position could do, she drew her knees to her chest, rested her arms on her knees and buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

Hanna and Emily were in Alison's old room searching for anything that might help them find their missing friend. Hanna was moving things around under the bed when she grabbed a box of memorabilia that Ali had saved. She pulled it out from under the bed, took the lid off and began shifting through the contents.

"Hanna, look!" Emily exclaimed grabbing a piece of paper from the box. There's a phone number on this."

"It doesn't hurt to call." Hanna said pulling out her phone and dialing the number.

"How did you find me?" The voice on the other end said.

"Ali?" Hanna asked her voice quiet, almost not believing that even though she had seen her that Ali was really alive.

"How did you find me, Hanna?"

"We're in your room. We found the number in a box of things under the bed." Hanna answered. "Ali, where are you?"

"I can't tell you." Ali said her voice shaking.

Emily sat anxiously next to Hanna, desperately wanting to take the phone from her and talk to Ali herself. She was about to grab for the phone when the door to Ali's room bust open revealing Aria and Jason.

"Did someone else just come in?" Ali asked hearing the commotion even on the other end of the phone call.

"Yes," Hanna said, "Aria and Jason just came in."

"Jason?" Ali asked curiously. "As in my brother, Jason?"

"Yes." Hanna said wondering what Ali was getting at.

"Put me on speaker. I want to talk to all of you." Ali said. Hanna complied and soon the small group was engrossed in an intense conversation about Ali's whereabouts.

"I will tell you everything that I know." Ali said. "Meet me at this address, tonight." She added listing an address in Philadelphia. Before anyone could respond she had already clicked off the line.

"What are we going to do?" Hanna asked cradling her phone in her hand, still shocked that they had just talked to Ali.

"We're going to Philadelphia, of course." Aria said looking to Jason to back her up.

He nodded, although his expression was torn. He wanted to see his sister, to help her out of whatever trouble she had gotten herself into, but he also knew that it could be dangerous for the girls. He would feel better if he could go on his own, but he knew the girls would never go for it. They wanted to help Ali as much as he did.

"Let's go then." Emily said.

"We should probably change first." Hanna suggested gesturing to the wedding dresses that the three of them still wore.

"I'll meet you downstairs in ten minutes." Jason said leaving the room.

"What's going on with you two?" Hanna asked referring to Aria and Jason as the girls quickly changed into their normal clothes.

"I don't know." Aria said truthfully. "But something is."

Emily rolled her eyes. "I still don't have good vibes about him."

Aria glared at her. "Ali seems to trust him. Shouldn't that mean something?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe." She conceded.

"Well, I think he would be good for you." Hanna said changing her tone from earlier and standing up for her petite friend. "It's pretty obvious that he likes you a lot."

"Thanks Han." Aria said trying to digest the fact that it seemed to be obvious to everyone but her that Jason liked her still. The girls left Ali's room and met up with Jason in the living room. They were just about to head outside when Spencer came stumbling in and collapsed. Jason caught her before she hit the floor and helped her stand up. He kept a protective hand on her elbow, making sure that she wasn't going to fall again.

"Spence, what happened?" Aria asked reaching out her own hand to steady her friend.

"I was chasing a hooded figure that I thought was A and I tripped. The figure got away. Where were you all going?"

Aria looked to the other girls and then to Jason. She begged him with her eyes to understand, "Could you give us just another five minutes, Jason?"

He nodded in understanding. "I'll be right here."

The girls took Spencer upstairs to help her change and clean up and filled her in on their conversation with Ali. After the requested five minutes they met back up with Jason and began their trek to Philadelphia.

"Are you sure this is the address that she gave you?" Spencer asked as they navigated through the cobweb covered building that Ali's address had led them to. They were about to open a door and venture into another part of the building when a voice said "Stop."

The turned and looked at who the voice had come from. "What are you doing here?" Spencer asked Noel Kahn, beyond surprised to see him.

"Ali sent me." Noel answered easily. "I'm going to take you to her, but I'm going to need your phones."

They all handed them over, and Noel blindfolded each of them and led them out to an SUV.

"Why all the secrecy?" Emily asked once they were all settled into the car with Spencer and Emily in the first back seat and Jason, Aria, and Hanna in the far back seat.

"For Ali's safety and yours." Noel answered refusing to give more info.

Aria shivered, thinking that it was possible that they had just put themselves in grave danger. Jason felt her movement and despite his blindfold, reached for her hand and squeezed it. She returned the gesture, grateful for his calming presence. They rode in silence for what felt like an eternity before Noel parked and led them into what used to be a restaurant. He took them to a room where a familiar blonde was waiting for them.

Emily was the first to regain her voice after the shock of seeing their friend and exclaimed, "Ali!" and ran over to embrace her. The other girls followed suit, but Jason stayed back letting the girls have their moment. After the squealing died down, he approached his sister.

He was speechless for a few moments as he gathered his little sister in a hug. Ali, unused to such gestures from her brother, awkwardly patted him on the back.

"I have so much that I want to say to you." Jason said after he released her. "I've missed you, and I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Ali asked confused.

"Being a lousy big brother and not knowing that you were in some kind of trouble."

Ali looked at him as if she were seeing him for the first time. She knew that he had changed, but she had no idea how much until this moment. This time she hugged him and said, "It's okay Jason. We have a chance to start over."

He nodded and gave her a genuine smile.

The girls had been watching their interaction with interest, and were pleased to see that the siblings seemed to be starting afresh.

"Ali, what's going on?" Spencer asked quietly. "Why are you hiding out here?"

Alison looked at the girls and Jason and said, "I'll tell you everything that I know, we have to figure this out."

The group all settled into some couches that had been set up in a lounge area of the restaurant. Alison told the story from the whole day that she disappeared, finishing with her getting hit in the head, and her mom burying her alive. "She was protecting someone." Alison concluded. "I just don't know who."

From where she was sitting next to him, Aria noticed that Jason's face had gone pale with the end of Ali's story. She reached for his hand, and he didn't shy away when she took it in her own. Ali also noticed her brother's worried countenance and tried to alleviate his worries.

"She wasn't protecting you, Jason." Ali said confidently.

"How do you know?" Jason asked his voice quivering slightly. "I don't remember anything from that night."

Ali nodded. "I saw you right before I got hit, you were passed out in one of the lounge chairs in the back yard. You couldn't have hit me."

Jason breathed a sigh of relief. His emotions were all over the place. He was beyond glad to lay his own guilt to rest, but he was still worried for his sisters and the other girls as well, particularly the one that was still gripping his hand. His feelings for her were growing, and he was just hoping that this time he would have the chance to win her heart.

Hanna was about to ask Ali another question when they heard shuffling coming from the hall outside the room they were in.

"We've got to get out of here." Ali whispered and motioned for everyone to follow her up to the roof. They were about to leave the building by using the rooftop fire escape when a hooded figure joined them on the roof. The group all stared at the figure for a moment, before Jason demanded, "Who are you?"

The figure didn't answer but approached them slowly, menacingly. It was then that they all noticed that the figure was carrying a gun. Suddenly, a second figure burst through the door and shouted "I know who you are!"

"Ezra?" Ali questioned as the writer joined them on the roof.

The hooded figure took advantage of Ezra's entrance and the surrounding confusion to point the gun at Alison and Aria who were standing slightly apart from the other girls. Jason who had been watching A immediately shouted "No!" as the figure moved to pull the trigger. Jason jumped in front of Alison and Aria pushing them down to the ground. A shot was fired and grazed Jason's side. Ezra and the other girls had somehow managed to get the gun from A, and A jumped to a neighboring rooftop in retreat.

"Jason, are you okay?" Aria asked worriedly as she moved over to where he was still laying on the roof.

"I think so." He said although his face was pale again. "I don't think the shot hit me, it barely grazed me." He lifted his shirt slightly to expose his side. It was bleeding profusely, but it wasn't a deep wound.

"We still need to get you to a hospital." Aria said. She acknowledged Ezra's presence for the first time since he had announced himself on the rooftop. She looked to him and asked, "Do you have a phone?"

When he nodded, unafraid to say anything to her since the last time they spoke she had been yelling at him, she said, "Call 911 please."

Ezra quickly pulled his phone out and dialed the emergency number. It wasn't long before paramedics and police arrived on the scene and were escorting them all to the hospital.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – So Cold I Could See My Breath

The girls all quickly exchanged glances as the uniformed officer walked away from them. They knew that they had gotten off easy with the questioning about what they were doing on that rooftop and how Jason ended up being grazed by a bullet. They were also aware that the NYPD had definitely called the Rosewood police once they realized who the girls were. So now they sat in the hospital waiting room under the careful eye of several police officers.

Aria buried her face in her hands. She felt so overwhelmed. If the police found out the truth, who knew what A would do to them and their families. She was also struggling with her feelings for Jason. He had literally saved her life, which definitely sent the romantic thoughts that she had been having for him since his return into overdrive. And Ezra's appearance on the rooftop certainly hadn't made anything any easier. He was currently sitting next to her and she could tell that he was trying to get her attention.

"Aria, are you okay?" He asked quietly.

She lifted her head to glare at him. "Do I look like I'm okay?" she whispered back angrily.

"Talk to me, please." He pleaded. "Aria, I miss you."

"Ezra, I can't do this right now." Aria said her voice broken.

"Please, I love you. I promise I will tell you the whole truth from now on."

"And you think that's good enough?" Aria asked bitterly. "Ezra, our entire relationship was a lie. Whether you eventually fell in love with me or not, you used me to get what you wanted. I will forgive you in time, maybe, but there's no chance for us. You should never have lied to me, and more than that you should have never taken advantage of me when we met. You knew who I was and that I was in a vulnerable emotional state, and you used that to manipulate me. Honestly, you're lucky that I'm in the same room with you right now and I haven't slapped you."

"Aria, I know that I broke your trust, but I also know that you love me. Please give me another chance." Ezra begged.

Aria didn't answer his plea, but instead asked, "Tell me Ezra, who did you think was wearing the mask? Do you think Mrs. D followed us to New York and shot her own son, or do you have another ridiculous theory to test?"

Ezra blushed and looked away guiltily. "I thought it was Jason."

His answer sent Aria's anger plummeting over the edge of reason. "Well obviously it wasn't, genius."

"Aria." Ezra began again, but she just held her hand up to stop him.

"No, Ezra. We're done. Totally and completely done. And you're wrong. I don't love you, not anymore." She stood up intending to go take a seat across the waiting room when a nurse approached.

"Mr. DiLaurentis can have visitors now." The nurse announced. Aria looked around for Ali, thinking that it was only right that his sister get to visit him first, but she had slipped away to go to the bathroom when Spencer and Hanna left to get coffee while Aria was arguing with Ezra.

"You should go, Aria." Emily suggested. "He would want to see you."

Aria nodded, turned and followed the nurse into Jason's room.

After Aria retreated with the nurse to visit Jason, Emily just watched Mr. Fitz. He looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown, and while she hadn't heard his conversation with Aria, she had a feeling that it hadn't gone well for him. She knew that she should be angry with him too, but at the moment she only felt pity for the teacher. It was obvious that despite how their relationship had begun, Ezra Fitz loved Aria, he just loved himself and his ambitions more.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Ali asked taking the seat next to Emily's.

"I'm just thinking about love and how complicated it is." Emily illuminated.

Ali looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Somehow I don't think you are just talking about Fitz and Aria. Speaking of, where did she go?"

"She went in to visit Jason." Emily replied.

Alison raised an eyebrow. "Is there something going on there?"

"It's pretty obvious that they have feelings for each other." Emily said, still unsure about Jason's loyalty.

"She would be good for him." Alison admitted somewhat reluctantly. She had just gotten her friends and her brother back, and it already looked like one of her friends and said brother would be wrapped up in each other before long. "So who were you thinking about when I came back over here?"

Emily looked into Alison's face. "Paige and you. Paige and I have been fighting a lot. She thinks that I still have feelings for you. I wanted to be able to say that she was wrong, but the words wouldn't come out, because she wasn't wrong, and I couldn't lie to her."

"Em." Ali said quietly. "You know that I can't really even begin to think about relationships right now."

Emily's face registered her confusion. "What are you saying?"

"That you shouldn't give up your relationship over me." Ali clarified. "Even when I can think about something other than figuring out who tried to kill me, I don't know where I will stand romantically. You should try and work things out with Paige, if you love her that is."

Emily nodded sadly. She understood where Alison was coming from, but her words still stung. Emily glanced at her phone and thought about sending a text to Paige.

"Spencer, what are we going to do?" Hanna asked her voice laced with panic. "The cops are definitely involved now and who knows how A will react to that."

"I don't know that there's much that we can do, Han." Spencer said taking a sip of her coffee. "Maybe we should tell them everything. Maybe it's time to accept that we can't figure this out on our own."

Hanna looked at Spencer horrified. "Do you think we can trust them?"

"You tell me." Spencer said quickly, "You've spent more time with them. Do you trust Detective Holbrook?"

Hanna considered Spencer's question for only a second before saying, "With my life."

"I guess that answers the question then." Spencer resolved. "We tell them everything. Except maybe the Ezra stuff."

Hanna nodded. "I just got Aria talked down off that cliff. I don't think she wants to do anything that might damage her family further."

"I can't believe he showed up tonight. I overheard him tell Aria that he thought the masked figure was Jason." Spencer admitted.

Hanna rolled her eyes. "I think his jealousy made him come to that conclusion. He knows that Aria and Jason had a flirtation last year, and he also knows that the chances of her taking him back are slim to none."

"True." Spencer agreed. "I wonder who it was though? I feel fairly sure that it was a man."

"I don't know." Hanna said with a shiver. "I wish that I did. I might actually feel safe for once if we knew who wanted us dead."

Aria stepped quietly into Jason's hospital room, unsure of what to expect. A doctor was still making notes on the chart at the foot of Jason's bed and smiled at her when she entered. "We gave him a mild pain killer, and a light sedative so he's probably going to be pretty groggy."

Aria smiled tightly as the doctor left the room and she slowly approached Jason's side. "Hey you." she said softly as she gripped the rail on the side of the bed.

"Aria." he returned his voice scratchy from sleep. He reached for one of the hands that was gripping the rail and took it in his own.

"How are you feeling?" she asked smiling at him.

"I've been better, but I'm doing okay." He answered. "How are you?"

Aria shook her head at his question. He was the one in a hospital bed and he was asking her how she was doing. "Jason, I don't even know how to say thank you. You saved my life."

He looked at her, and squeezed her hand tightly. "Aria, you don't have to thank me. I care about you and when I thought you were in danger there was no other option. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything had happened to you."

Tears formed in Aria's eyes at his words. That he still cared about her despite everything tugged at her heartstrings in a way that she hadn't expected.

"Hey, don't cry." He said reaching up to gently wipe the tears from her face. "Everything's going to be okay."

"I wish that were true." Aria said quietly. "I don't think everything will ever be okay again."

"Because of what happened tonight?" Jason asked, the medication making him a little confused.

"Because of what has happened the last year and a half." Aria said bitterly. "The Rosewood police will be here soon and I don't know how we are going to explain this."

"We should tell the truth." Jason suggested. "Maybe they can help."

Aria nodded hopefully. "I think that's our only option at this point. I just don't know if they will believe us. And I don't know what will happen when A finds out."

"I'm so sorry that I dragged you all into this." A voice said from the door of Jason's room.

"Ali." Aria said, "It's not your fault."

"But it is." Ali returned coming further into the room. "It's all my fault. If I had just been nicer to people, none of this ever would have happened."

"Ali, you can't change the past." Jason said as he sister approached his hospital bed. "But you've changed you and that means a lot."

Alison smiled at him. "You're pretty smart these days, Jase."

Aria grinned at the two of them. "I think I will let you two catch up."

The Rosewood police arrived about half an hour after Aria left Jason's room. They had gathered all of the girls up and were now questioning them in Jason's hospital room.

"You mean to tell me that you girls have been stalked and threatened for months and never once thought about going to the police?" Detective Holbrook asked as he looked between the girls.

"You have to understand." Hanna said, "Some of the police were involved in all of this somehow. Garrett Reynolds, Detective Wilden. They knew more than they let on and it wasn't because of their positions in the police department. It was because they were involved somehow. We didn't know who we could trust."

Gabe looked at Hanna and sighed. He understood perfectly and Hanna was right. They probably couldn't have trusted the Rosewood police when those two had been on the force. "Well, now you can trust us and we will have officers protecting all of you and your families at all times."

Aria sighed with relief from her position standing next to Jason's bed. As much as it wouldn't be fun to have a police detail following every move of the rest of their senior year, it gave her hope that maybe they would be safe. Jason heard her sigh and moved his hand to cover hers. She jumped slightly at his touch. Her skin felt exceedingly warm where his hand was pressed against hers. She looked to him and smiled slightly as a blush found its way to her cheeks.

"Detective Holbrook, can we talk to you for a second?" Another officer asked opening the door to the room.

"Sure." Gabe said, stepping outside. When he returned moments later his face was grim.

"What's wrong?" Spencer asked, fearing the worst.

"Jessica DiLaurentis has gone missing." He said quietly. "We are doing everything in our power to find her, but in the meantime we are going to ask that you all stay here."


End file.
